Ovation TV programming and production senior vice president Kris Slava is a big fan of U.K. music program Later ... With Jools Holland.
"I've lusted after it for years," Slava (pictured) told MCN's Through the Wire recently. "Michelle [Zajic], our head of acquisitions, was stalking it."
It finally became available and arts-focused Ovation signed a deal with BBC Worldwide to secure U.S. premieres of the show's next 27 episodes- - three "series" in British-TV terms. It launches Labor Day weekend with a marathon, then settles into a Thursday night slot on Sept. 10.
The show has been seen on these shores before: BBC America aired it, as did Rave HD, part of Cablevision System's satellite-delivered HD programming service Voom. Only a week ago, Cablevision's Fuse network said it was adding library shows to its lineup this summer.
Slava said Cablevision-owned Fuse is using Rave's expiring license, after which Ovation will capture those shows (which he thought his network would get already).
Ovation will start with Jools's 33rd series (again in Brit terms), including guests Metallica, Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour, The Killers, My Morning Jacket and Carla Bruni, who also happens to be the wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
